State snake.

Senator Niello's proposal to designate the giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas) as California's official state snake recognizes a species found nowhere else in the world. The snake, which can grow to 64 inches in length, historically inhabited wetlands throughout California's Central Valley but now primarily resides in agricultural areas, particularly rice fields and irrigation systems that mirror its natural marsh habitat.

The bill's findings detail the snake's threatened status under both state and federal law, noting that over 90 percent of its historic wetland habitat has been lost to agricultural conversion and urban development. Additional challenges to the species include water diversions, dams, pesticide use, non-native predators, and vehicle strikes. The giant garter snake was listed as threatened under California law in 1971 and federal law in 1993, yet population recovery remains elusive.

The designation would add the giant garter snake to California's collection of official state symbols, which includes the California poppy as the state flower, the California redwood as the state tree, and the California desert tortoise as the state reptile. While primarily ceremonial, the designation aims to highlight the snake's role in California's ecological systems and agricultural landscapes while drawing attention to ongoing conservation needs.